IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ Συγγραφή : Στουραϊτης Ιωάννης Μετάφραση : Χρυσανθόπουλος Δημήτριος Για παραπομπή : Στουραϊτης Ιωάννης , "Constantine Maleinos", Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία URL:

Περίληψη : Constantine Maleinos was born at the end of the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century, possibly in . He was member of a powerful family of the military aristocracy of Asia Minor situated in the theme of . He reached the summit of his career in the middle of the 10th century, when he held the office of strategos; he was also member of the Senate and he was honored with the title of patrikios. He participated in the battle of Andrasus in 960. He died at the end of the 960’s in Cappadocia. Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th century, possiby Cappadocia Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου end of the 960’s (most probably 968), Cappadocia Κύρια Ιδιότητα Military official

1. Biography

Constantine Maleinos was a scion of one of the most prominent families of the military aristocracy of Asia Minor, situated in the region of Cappadocia, in the theme of Charsianon. He was born at the end of the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century. His birthplace is not mentioned in the sources but it must have been Cappadocia, where his family held great fortune1 and he spent the greatest part of his life. As a scion of an aristocratic family, his upbringing must have been thorough, focusing on military training, as can be inferred from his later career. His father was Eudokimos Maleinos, while his mother Anastaso was a member of the aristocratic Andralestos family. Among his six siblings, the most famous were saint (whose fortune Constantine acquired when his brother became a monk) and Sophia, wife of Phokas and mother of the later emperor Nikephoros II Phokas. He had a son named Eustathios. In his son’s house in Charsianon, his relative Bardas Phokas was proclaimed emperor (August 15th, 987) when he rebelled against the imperial power.

His exact date of death is not mentioned in the sources but it must be placed at the end of the 960’s, most probably in 968, in the region of Cappadocia, where he served as strategos.

2. Military career

Little information about the political and military career of Constantine Maleinos can be found in the sources, especially in the Life of his brother Michael.2 It is certain that he was honored with the title of patrikios and that he was a member of the Senate. His military career reached its summit in 955, at the time of Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (945-959), when he succeeded his nephew Leo Phokas in the office of strategos of Cappadocia, an office he maintained for a long time, most probably until 968.3 The prominent place of his family among the aristocratic families of Asia Minor and the close relationship of his brother Michael to the emperor Nikephoros II must have been the reasons why he maintained his office for such a long time, along with his experience in the war of maneuvers on the eastern frontier.4 In November 960, Constantine Maleinos, as the strategos of Cappadocia, participated (along with Leo Phokas, domestikos ton scholon of the West) and shined in the battle of Andrasus, the great victory of the Byzantines against the Hamdanid emir of Aleppo Sayf ad-Dawlah, who had invaded the lands of Asia Minor. It has been presumed that Constantine Maleinos is identified with ibn al-Mala’ini, who, according to the arab sources, failed to repel the attack of the troops of Sayf ad-Dawlah to Ikonion in 962.5

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1. Cheynet, J.-C., Pouvoir et contestations a Byzance (963-1210) (Byzantina Sorbonensia 9, Paris 1990), p. 214.

2. Petit, L., “Vie de saint Michel Maleinos”, Revue de l’Orient Chretien 7 (1902), p. 551.6-14.

3. A seal dating back to the 10th century mentions one Constantine, protospatharios and strategos of Cappadocia, most probably identified with Constantine Maleinos. See Βλυσίδου, Β. – Κουντούρα-Γαλάκη, Ε. – Λαμπάκης, Σ. – Λουγγής, Τ. – Σαββίδης, Α., Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Έρευνες πάνω στην γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Μικράς Ασίας (7ος-11ος αι.) (Ινστιτούτο Βυζαντινών Ερευνών/Επιστημονική Βιβλιοθήκη 1, Athens 1998), p. 442 nr. 12.

4. The long experience of Constantine Maleinos in the war of maneuvers is mentioned in Περί Παραδρομής Πολέμου, a handbook of war tactics of the end of the 10th century. The unknown author mentions Constantine as one of his instructors. See Περί Παραδρομής Πολέμου, Dennis, G. T. (ed.), Three Byzantine Military Treatises (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 25, Washington D.C. 1985), proem, 37-41.

5. Cheynet, J.-C., “Les Phokas”, in Dagron, G. – Mihaescu, H. (eds.), Le traite sur la guerila (De velitatione) de l’empereur Nicephore Phokas (963- 969) (Paris 1986), pp. 309-310.

Βιβλιογραφία : Canard M., Histoire de la dynastie des H'amdanides de Jazîra et de Syrie, Paris 1953, Publications de la Faculté des lettres d'Alger, 2. sér., t. 21

Ιωάννης Σκυλίτζης, Σύνοψις Ιστοριών, Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Skylitzae Synopsis Historiarum, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin – New York 1973

Βλυσίδου Β., Λουγγής Τ., Λαμπάκης Σ., Σαββίδης Α., Κουντούρα-Γαλάκη Ε., Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Έρευνες πάνω στη γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Mικράς Aσίας (7ος-11ος αι.), Αθήνα 1998, Eρευνητική Bιβλιοθήκη 1

Cheynet J.-C., Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance (963-1210), Paris 1990, Byzantina Sorbonensia 9

Συνεχισταί Θεοφάνους, Χρονογραφία συγγραφείσα εκ προστάγματος Κωνσταντίνου του φιλοχρίστου και πορφυρογεννήτου δεσπότου, Bekker, I. (ed.), Theophanes Continuatus, Joannes Cameniata, Symeon Magister, Georgius Monachus, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn 1838

Περί παραδρομής πολέμου, Dagron, G. – Mihaescu, H. (eds), Le traité sur la guérila (De velitatione) de l’empereur Nicéphore Phocas (963-969), Paris 1986

Kaplan M., "Les grands propriétaires de Cappadoce VIe-XVe siècles", Fonseca, C.D. (ed.), Le aree omogene della Civiltà Rupestre nell’Impero Bizantino: la Cappadocia, Atti del quinto convegno internazionale di studio sulla civiltà rupestre, medioque nel mezzogiorno d’Italia (16-17 Ottobre), Catalina 1981, 125-158

Περί παραδρομής πολέμου, Dennis, G.T. (ed.), Three Byzantine Military Treatises, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 25, Washington 1985

Cutler A., Kazhdan A., "Maleinos", Kazhdan, A. (ed.), The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, vol. 2, New York – Oxford 1991, 1276

Cheynet J.-C., "Les Phocas", Dagron, G. – Mihăescu, H. (eds), Le traité sur la guérilla (De velitatione) de

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l’empereur Nicéphore Phocas (963-969), Paris 1986, 289-315

Βλυσίδου Β., Αριστοκρατικές οικογένειες και εξουσία (9ος-10ος αιώνας), Αθήνα 2001

Petit L., "Vie de saint Michel Maleinos (BHG 1295)", Revue de l'Orient Chretien, 7, 1902, 543- 603

Markopoulos A., "Le témoignage du Vaticanus gr. 163 pour la période entre 945-963", Σύμμεικτα, 3, 1979, 83-119

Δικτυογραφία : Βίος οσίου Μιχαήλ Μαλεΐνου http://www.doaks.org/saints2/TEXTS/76.html

Γλωσσάριo : domestikos ton scholon Commander of the regiment of scholae. The first officer with this title appears in 767/8. In the 10th C the domesticos became very powerful among the army of the themata; in mid-10th C the office was divided in two, domestikoi ton scholon of the East and those of the West, commanders in chief of the eastern and the western provinces´ army respectively. emir (from Arabic amir) Emir meaning "commander" or "general", later also "prince". Also a high title of nobility or office in some Turkic historical states. patrikios (from lat. patricius) Higher title of honour, placed, according to the "Tactika" of the 9th and the 10th centuries, between anthypatos and protospatharios. It was given to the most important governors and generals. Gradually, however, it fell into disuse and from the 12th century did not exist any more. strategos ("general") During the Roman period his duties were mainly political. Οffice of the Byzantine state´s provincial administration. At first the title was given to the military and political administrator of the themes, namely of the big geographic and administrative unities of the Byzantine empire. Gradually the title lost its power and, already in the 11th century, strategoi were turned to simple commanders of military units, responsible for the defence of a region.

Πηγές Συνεχισταί Θεοφάνους, Χρονογραφία συγγραφείσα εκ προστάγματος Κωνσταντίνου του φιλοχρίστου και πορφυρογεννήτου δεσπότου, Bekker, I. (ed.), Theophanes Continuatus, Joannes Cameniata, Symeon Magister, Georgius Monachus (Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn 1838), pp. 479.15‑480.1.

Περί παραδρομής πολέμου, Dennis, G.T. (ed.), Three Byzantine Military Treatises (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 25, Washington DC 1985), proem, 37‑41.

Παραθέματα A contemporary chronographer refers to the participation of Constantine Maleinos in the battle of Andrasus (960):

ὁ δὲ πατρίκιος καὶ δομέστικος τῆς Ἑῴας ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ πεμφθεὶς ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ διὰ τὸ μὴ εὑρεῖν τὸν ἄθεον Χαμβδᾶν ἀσκέπαστον τὴν ἀνατολὴν καὶ ἐλάσαι κοῦρσα καὶ αἰχμαλωτίσαι καὶ πραιδεῦσαι τὴν ῾Ρωμαϊκὴν γῆν. καὶ ἐνωθεὶς τῷ στρατηγῷ Καππαδοκίας Κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ πατρικίῳ Μαλεΐνῳ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς στρατηγοῖς μετὰ τῶν ταγμάτων, καὶ τὴν ἐκστρατείαν τοῦ ἀλαζόνος ἐπιτυχὼν εἰς τὸν τόπον Ἀνδρασσὸν λεγόμενον, συμβαλὼν κατὰ κράτος νενίκηκε, καὶ καταπολεμήσας καὶ εἰς φυγὴν τρέψας.

Συνεχισταί Θεοφάνους, Χρονογραφία συγγραφείσα εκ προστάγματος Κωνσταντίνου του φιλοχρίστου και πορφυρογεννήτου δεσπότου, Bekker, I. (ed.), Theophanes Continuatus, Joannes Cameniata, Symeon Magister, Georgius Monachus (Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn 1838), pp. 479.15‑480.1.

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Praise of Constantine Maleinos' generalship in a military handbook of the end of the 10th c.:

παρ’ οὗ καὶ ἡμεῖς ταύτην γυμνασθέντες τὴν μέθοδον τὴν ταύτης κἂν ποσῶς παρειλήφαμεν πεῖραν. πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος Πατρίκιος, ᾧ Μαλεϊνὸς ἐπίκλησις, χρόνους πλείστους Καππαδοκῶν στρατηγήσας καὶ ταύτην συνεργὸν ἔχων, οὐκ ἐλάχιστα ἀπειργάσατο κατορθώματα.

Περί παραδρομής πολέμου, Dennis, G.T. (ed.), Three Byzantine Military Treatises (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 25, Washington DC 1985), proem, 37‑41.

Χρονολόγιο end of 9th/beginning of 10th century: Birth of Constantine Maleinos, most probably in Cappadocia

955: Appointment of Constantine Maleinos as strategos of the theme of Cappadocia

November 960: Constantine Maleinos participates in the battle of Andrasus against the Arabs

962: Presumable defeat of Constantine Maleinos by the emir of Aleppo end of 960’s (most probably 968): Death of Constantine Maleinos

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